Author: Ina Steiner

Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sep 2005 - present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (Mar 2006 - present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure at EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.

eBay Sellers Get Surprise Gift Cards

January 6, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

eBay sellers spent 3 days speculating about why the marketplace had given out gift cards to some sellers. A discussion thread began with a seller posting, “Did anyone else get a gift card from eBay? It says “Thank you for Read more

Etsy Advises Sellers to Use Health Insurance Broker

January 5, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

Etsy sent an email reminding sellers about its partnership with Stride Health, which it had first announced in November. In Monday’s email, Etsy wrote, “keep in mind that the deadline to enroll for health insurance is January 31.” It’s important Read more

Buyers Continue to Have Problems with eBay Bucks

January 5, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

Things got worse before they got better for some eBay buyers trying to redeem loyalty rewards. The problem began when eBay failed to email certificates to members of its eBay Bucks loyalty program on Sunday, January 3rd, as had been promised in Read more

eBay Glitch Strikes Important Shopping Feature

January 5, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

eBay shoppers rely on Saved Searches to keep track of items they’re interested in and to get alerts when an item they’re looking for shows up for sale. So when there are problems with Saved Searches, shoppers become understandably upset. Read more

Webinar Helps Sellers Get Ready for USPS Rate Hike

January 5, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

Are you ready for the postal rate hike coming in 2 weeks? Postage solutions provide Endicia is holding a webinar this month to help online sellers and business shippers understand what’s changing. Endicia explains the purpose of the webinar: “On Read more

EcommerceBytes Opens Nominations for Sellers Choice Awards

January 4, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

Each year, online sellers get to turn the tables and rate the marketplaces on which they sell. Nominations are now open for the 2016 Sellers Choice Awards. Let us know your top 5 picks by quickly filling out the nomination Read more

eBay AU Angers Shoppers By Ending Discount Early

January 4, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

eBay kicked off a promotion on December 29th to entice Australian buyers to spend $150 through the end of 2015, but it ended the sale a day early, causing an outcry among shoppers who had yet to take advantage of Read more

eBay Snoozes as Buyers Clamor for Bucks

January 4, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

eBay buyers are clamoring for the rewards owed them as part of the eBay Bucks loyalty program. A reader alerted us to the issue, telling us on Sunday night that eBay had not sent the certificates for eBay Bucks rewards Read more

How to Use Product Returns as an Ecommerce Opportunity

January 4, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

For retailers and online merchants, product returns can haunt them in the weeks and months after the Christmas holiday. A percentage of holiday gifts so lovingly wrapped transform into Problems for the recipients – it doesn’t fit, it’s the wrong Read more

Merchants Inundated with Returns This Week

January 4, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

UPS is calling Wednesday “National Returns Day,” while in the UK, Royal Mail is calling today “Mail-Back Monday.” Shipping carriers can barely catch their breath from a busy holiday shipping season when they’re inundated once again with some of the Read more